The present invention relates to a slide plate assembly or slide plate-frame unit including a slide plate having a through-flow opening surrounded by a frame. The frame and slide plate supported thereby are particularly usable between the hole plate and spout plate of a three-plate slide closure for use in opening or closing a spout plate pouring opening in a metallurgical vessel.
It is known that the connection between the slide plate and operating frame of a slide plate assembly presents certain operational problems. That is, on the one hand it is necessary that the plate and frame be rigid with respect to each other during operation. On the other hand however, it is also important that the slide plate be readily and easily removable from the frame so that a new slide plate may be assembled to the frame. Additionally, it is necessary that the frame be of a configuration to absorb and compensate for dimensional tolerances, particularly in the peripheral dimension of the slide plate.
In a slide closure as disclosed in German Pat. No. 1,743,172, the slide plate is held firmly in the operating frame by means of mortar. However, the use of mortar to fixedly position the slide plate within the frame is disadvantageous in that the mortar is likely to crumble during use, such that play between the slide plate and frame results. Such play promotes the formation of cracks in the slide plate during further use of the assembly.